Taking Back Summer

It happens every summer. I make the committment to fish at least twice a week. I plan to try new waters. I make the commitment to practice shooting. I promise to get to the clays range at least 4 or 5 times before September. Then, somewhat magically, my weekends fill-up with weddings, graduation parties, family events and work.  

In the battle to take back summer I use two not-so-secret weapons. Island Lake Shooting range and smallmouth bass fishing on Lake St. Clair.

Sporting Clays at Island Lake

This clay breaking Oasis is a managable 30 minutes from Detroit on westbound I-96. Targets are flung in a variety of scenarios encountered while hunting. The course is easily completed in an hour and a half. That gives you plenty of time to get back to your cousin’s wedding reception.

The facilities are delux. Each shooting station is a wooden house offering many “up-north” views of wooded lots. Except here the trees are obviously punished by #9 lead.

Each station has 4 seperate traps offering easy and challenging shots. Clays fly from behind you and over-head like landing ducks. Or jump from the lawn suddenly like a grouse or pheasant. And you get to control the looks with a remote-control-like contraption. I like to mix up the true-doubles making them nearly impossible. Then challenging my buddies to the same torture.

Small Mouth Bass Fishing on Lake St. Clair

LSC is close to home, offers a ton of access points and is filled with smallmouth bass. A few buddies and I launched out of Self Ridge paying only $6 at the ramp. The weather was perfect for casting tubes. The water was dead calm with a light wind. 

We drifted along in about 6-8 fow casting jerkbaits and tubes. As soon as we couldn’t see the bottom the fish started biting. Texas rigged tubes worked best indiciating the fish are holding close to the bottom. 

Johnny caught a couple decent smallies and we made the quick run back to the ramp. Everybody got home in time to fulfill their obligations. And we claimed one more summer morning in the boat and instead of cutting the grass.